Unforseen Shadows
by SpIcY PePpErMiNt
Summary: Team 7 needs to get info from a person residing in a ghostly forest. But when things get worse and Sakura and Sasuke are trapped in a parallel world, what sort of things might happen? Will they find their way back home?
1. The Dream

Hello! Well, this is the first time I write this kind of thing...err, fanfiction! Well, I hope you enjoy the crappy story!

* * *

**Unforseen Shadows**

_Cream_

**Disclaimer:**

I own a fish

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_Eerie silence…_

_Footsteps…_

_I found myself running along a dark hallway, trying to run away from something I don't even know…_

_My pink locks drenched in sweat are clinging to my face…_

_My skin is clammy… is it some result of shock? Is it an anxiety attack? Or am I suffering some kind of heart attack? The reason of it, I do not know…_

_I'm so exhausted from running without even looking back. Finally, I can see the end of that long and endless darkness. At the end of the gloomy path is a lady clad in a beautiful white gown._

_I gladly approached her and she smiled. Her face is so serene and bright, the sadness in her eyes faded as she hugged me tightly in her arms._

_"I've been waiting for you…finally, you came at last! I've missed you so much" she told me as she caressed my cheek_

_"You've been waiting for me… but why? Who are you?"_

_My question washed sadness over her. She hugged me tighter then kissed my forehead. The beautiful woman's blue eyes met mine, and I felt at peace…and lonely_

_She took a locket from a silken pouch that hung around her collar and placed it around my neck. She smiled sadly, hugged me tightly and reluctantly let me go. She turned her back from me and I can hear her muffled sobs._

_"You have to go. I know that we'll be able to meet again"_

_"B-but…I still want to talk to you. I want to know why I'm here… Why do you want me to go already?" I cried out as silent tears ran down my face_

_"She's here…"_

_I don't even have time to answer. Everything around me faded and was replaced by darkness. I closed my eyes and felt myself fall rapidly to a different realm. I can hear someone's voice call my name…_

* * *

"SAKURA! For the hundredth time, would you please wake up!"

A sleeping pink-haired girl darted out of her bed in surprise. Her green orbs scanned around the room anxiously. Her eyes met the blue ones of the blonde girl who have been bawling all morning to wake her up.

"I-ino! W-what the heck are you d-doing in here! In my room!"

"What? Did you forget that team 7 is on a mission today? And mind you, you're the medic nin of that team! But damn, what happened to you? You're so pale!"

Ino placed her palm on Sakura's forehead and shook her head "You're cold too. Would you like to see Tsunade-sama?"

"No, I'm fine. Really. I just had a bad dream, that's all" Sakura smiled and got out of bed

"Are you sure? Even though we always fight, I don' want anything bad happening to you. You are the best among my best friends!"

"Umm… thanks! Hey, would you mind waiting for me while I take a quick shower?" she rummaged through her closet and took one of her favorite clothes for missions

"Sure, no problem"

Sakura went inside the bathroom and began to take a shower. The warm water calmed her a bit.

She remembered her dream earlier… the beautiful woman… her sweet, angelic voice… her deep blue eyes. She didn't even have the chance to ask her name, yet she felt awfully close to her.

She wrapped herself in a cute bath robe designed all over with hopping bunnies. Her attention was drawn by the mirror near her… no, by a young girl inside the mirror.

The girl grinned at her and tried to find a way out of the mirror. To Sakura's horror, lights started to flicker and found that the girl is in front of her, grasping her wrist tightly until it almost bled. She screamed and tried to get away from the girl, but in vain

Luckily, Ino broke through the door and found her lying breathlessly on the floor. She helped her get out of the bathroom and sit at the bed. She slapped Sakura at the cheeks gently to get her back to her senses

"Sakura, what happened inside there? You've been hollering like you've seen a ghost!"

"Hey, are you still with me? Answer me!" she shook Sakura harshly and received a gasp from her

"Ino… how did I get here?" she asked innocently

"Are you really sure that you still want to go on with the mission?"

"I want to! Naruto and Sasuke-kun will be there too… I want to show that I can do what they can, so I need to go!" Sakura determinedly declared

Ino sighed. She isn't sure if her friend is in the right condition to go, but she trusted her. She trusts her best friend so much. Besides, her team mates are one of Konoha's most promising ninjas so she should be fine. All that they have to do is go pick up some herbs and a bit of information then come back. Nothing much right?

But something's not right here. Sakura's been not well since this morning that Ino's not sure if she should be fine. Something different is at bay, but she doesn't know what it is… or who it is. She will protect her friend just as her friend had protected her years ago. Sakura is like a sister to her now, and she don't know if she could even survive when Sakura's gone

Sakura is fully dressed in her red clothes and head protector tied like a head band around her head. She faced Ino then smiled weakly

"So… shall we?"

* * *

A blonde ninja with whisker-like marks on his face started kicking the ground impatiently. His team mate which is raven haired badly wanted to punch him in the face

"Sasuke! First is that one heck of a liar teacher and now Sakura! What's taking them so long!"

"hn."

"Oi Sasuke-baka! Is that all you're going to say! Aren't you even concerned for Sakura!"

"Naruto… shut up" Sasuke turned his back on Naruto and covered his ears

"Grrrr! YOU'RE GOING TO HELL UCHIHA!" Naruto was about to lunge at Sasuke when he saw pink in the corner of his eye

"Naruto! You're giving Sasuke a hard time again, eh?" Sakura stuck her tongue out playfully at the blonde

Sasuke cringed slightly at the mention of his name. He may not admit it, but he badly misses the suffix Sakura usually add to it. Things aren't what it used to be now

"Sakura-chan! You're late for the first time! I'm so worried about you!" Naruto almost hugged Sakura but stopped when she raised her fist and glared at him

Their sensei appeared out of nowhere in a cloud of smoke and grinned sheepishly under his mask

"Yo children! How are you doing?"

"Kakashi-sensei…You're late again"

"Well you see, I saw a black cat coming my way so I decided to take another path. You know, black cats mean bad luck" he grinned nervously under the glares of his students

* * *

"TSUNADE-SAMA! I have something important to tell you!" a woman darted inside the office of the Hokage and sweat dropped nervously

"Shizune…what did I tell you about shouting inside my office, especially when I'm sleeping!" the blonde Hokage stood up from her chair and gave a defiant stare at the shaking Shizune

"T-tsunade-sama…I'm so sorry…umm…"

"WHAT! Don't make ME LOSE MY PATIENCE! EXPLAIN YOUR SIDE!"

"Aaah! I received news about the forest where Sakura and her team will g-go…"

"What about it! Bandits? Missing-nins? Orochimaru? Akatsuki!" Tsunade grabbed her and shook her violently with every word she mentioned

"Uhh…n-no…they said there's a haunted mansion in that place"

The annoyed Hokage released Shizune and sulkily sat in her chair

"You believe in ghosts Shizune! I can't believe that one of my students can be so superstitious! There's no such thing as ghosts, remember that!"

"B-but Tsunade-sama, reports said that people who entered that place never got out anymore, neither dead nor a-alive!"

"Hmmph, team 7 will be fine. They're trained for harder missions than that. Go now before I toss this table at you!"

Nerves started to pop out in the fuming Hokage's head

Shizune hastily got out of the room and sighed. Her master can be so much at times.

"_I just so wish that Sakura wouldn't be like her. That would be very…creepy…"_

* * *

"It's creepy here… N-naruto...it's pretty scary, isn't it?"

Sakura walked behind Sasuke who is getting annoyed with her every word.

"I knew you shouldn't have come. You're just slowing things down for us already" he snickered as he walked faster

"You're lucky I'm not in the mood to pick fights right now, Uchiha…" Sakura murmured to herself as she clenched her fist in annoyance

Team Kakashi have been walking for hours already in search of the supposed resort hot spring in the woods. Sakura also need to pick up some herbs for Tsunade-sama. It's almost noon so the group decided to eat lunch.

"…_blossom…pretty…flowers…"_

"Are you speaking to me Naruto?" Sakura gave a questioning look at Naruto

"Eh? I'm not talking! Maybe it is Sasuke-baka!" he grinned at the eating Sasuke

"dobe."

Naruto fought the urge to kill Sasuke in cold blood

"Kakashi-sensei, so you're the one talking to me!" Sakura grinned

"Me? Well, I'm busy studying this book so I suppose it-" Kakashi stopped when Sakura gritted her teeth

"…Studying that perverted book…?"

"In short, I'm not the one calling you!" he raised his hands in defeat

"Well, I do heard something…" Naruto butted in

"Hell yeah?"

"I'm sure! It's like a low rumbling sound or something…"

"It's your stomach, dobe. You're hungry" Sasuke dryly commented

"Oh…really?" Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratches his head

"…Naruto…" veins started popping out of Sakura's head

**POW **

"Ouch!"

**PUNCH**

"Ya deserve it!"

Naruto ended up eating his lunch with a black eye

* * *

Unknown to the team, someone else is watching them...

"Hey fish face. How long are you going to make me wait here, huh?" a blonde man in a black cloak with red clouds snorted

"Will you shut up! I'm waiting for the right time, okay?"

"We've been waiting too long now! I'm getting really impatient"

"Right. Just wait...Itachi wants things done perfectly"

The blue-faced man sighed. He doesn't understand why he needs to go with this selfish, self-centered, impatient, loud and...err, enough with that. But they need to finish this very important mission: to take the cherry blossom for their group.

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Waaaaaaa...so, umm... I just wish you enjoyed it. Well...you judge, kay? Is it good, bad or delete? Thanks guys, please comment!


	2. The house in the white darkness

Hello!, long time no see huh? Well, I updated it as I promised. I'm very sorry for the long delay, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Unforseen Shadows **

_Spicy Peppermint_

**Disclaimer:**

I also own a cat

* * *

**THUD!**

"Hey… what's that sound? Is there anybody here besides us?" Sakura asked timidly while creeping closer to Naruto

"Huh? I'm not sure, I didn't hear it clearly. Gomen Sakura-chan"

"Hmm… maybe it's just my imagination… but I'm pretty sure that I heard something…"

Drops of water started falling from the sky

"It's going to rain soon, we better keep moving" Kakashi finally closed his book and stood up. The rain started getting worse while their jumping from tree to tree

"The rain's not going to get any better… Don't you think that we should just find shelter and wait for it to stop?" Naruto whined and almost lost his balance

"We're getting drenched Kakashi-sensei. The rain's too hard and the wind is strong, too" Sakura kneeled down next to Naruto

"If you want then you could just turn back and leave the mission to us. You're just going to hold us back anyway" Sasuke glared at the pink brunette

"Yeah, right… th-that's all what you think about me. I'm just a little wimp who keeps holding you back" Sakura tried to hold back free tears falling from her eyes. She turned away and jumped off

"Are you nuts?! How dare you say those words to Sakura?!" Naruto punched Sasuke hard in the face

"Hn."

"That's all you're going to say?!" Naruto prepared to launch another punch on the Uchiha's stomach when the silver haired nin stopped the infuriated blonde

"Hey… I think we should look for Sakura instead of fighting like this"

Naruto glared hard at Sasuke who sat silently on top of a branch, deep in thought

"This is getting worse. I think a storm is coming this way! The wind's getting stronger! We should take refuge somewhere before we're blown away" the copy nin shouted

"I still can't find Sakura-chan! She could be anywhere!! I'm not leaving without her" Naruto glared hard at Sasuke who doesn't seem to mind the storm. He activated his sharingan and started to run

"Sasuke you bastard-" Kakashi gripped Naruto's wrist tightly

"He knows what he is doing. For now, we should dry ourselves over there" he pointed at a small opening at the side of a mountain

* * *

"Son of a… how come a storm like this stirred up so fast? It was so bright and sunny earlier!" Deidara bellowed as he dodged debris flying his way

"The heck do I know! Besides, we haven't got little pinky yet. Itachi and Pein will kill us" Kisame punched a boulder out of annoyance

"But we were so close! I told you we should just have ambushed them"

"Oh right! And then we fight them and have ourselves killed! Great idea. Fantastic. I'll rate it zero"

"What's your problem? They're just a bunch of kids, yeah?"

"They're not just ordinary kids! One is an Uchiha, another is the great copy ninja. Then they also have someone with a monster inside his body. And who knows what that girl has that made Pein interested in her!"

"She's just a medic capable of dealing killer blows. That'll do no harm if you're careful enough… or don't tell me you're afraid?"

"What did you say?! I'll pound you clayface"

"Wait…I didn't remember the place being like this before…"

* * *

"…Where am I?" Sakura woke up, her head still dizzy and hurting

She gasped as she saw her surroundings. The storm had stopped, but the thick fog covered everything else. All that can be seen is its white darkness. The silence is very deafening. She could not feel any wind at all, but it is very chilly

"What is this place? I… I remember I was running. But… that's all I remember"

Sakura heard leaves rustling from behind. She quickly turned and saw a silhouette of a person walking nearer to her, his red eyes the only thing she can see clearly

"Sakura? What are you doing here?"

"S-sasuke? I thought… I thought you were somebody else!" Sakura cried and hugged Sasuke tightly

"H-hey… the others are looking for you. We're worried about you"

"Including you?" she gave a hopeful look

"W-well… uhh… sort of" he couldn't hide a faint blush from showing

"Sasuke-kun… waaaaaaaaa" she hugged him tighter

"Wait, what are you doing? Don't hug any tighter, I can't breathe!"

"Achoo! Brrr… It's getting colder, don't you think?" Sakura smiled lightly

"Hn… I want to apologize for earlier… about what I said to you" cold onyx eyes met warm emerald ones

"That is the longest sentence I heard from you since we were young"

"Hey, young folks! What are you doing out there in the cold? We're going to have a bad blizzard soon, I tell you! Why don't you spend the night in my mistress' house?" a voice of an old woman interrupted them

" Really? Thank you very much!" Sakura smiled happily and walked beside Sasuke

"What are you two even doing out there? It'll be freezing cold later and you're not even wearing winter clothes" the old lady chatted happily

"W-winter?" the two chorused

"Oh yes, winter. I hate winter but I have no choice. No crops, hard livelihood, not that desirable, right?"

"I'm pretty sure it's still summer…"

"Huh? In what country are you from then? Somewhere to the south?"

"We are ninjas from Konoha" Sasuke said in an as-a-matter-of-factly tone

"Oh, Konoha? The Hokage is doing a very fine job, right? Being the village's founder and all"

"Tsunade-sama is not the one who founded Konoha…"

"Tsunade? Aahh, Tsunade-hime, the current hokage's granddaughter! She is a very pretty child indeed"

"Tsunade is the current hokage of Konoha"

"Hahaha, children these days always weave unbelievable stories" the old lady laughed heartily

"What is up with baa-san?" Sakura whispered loud enough for Sasuke to hear

"Hn."

"Baa-san, do you think the owner of the house will allow us to stay?" Sakura asked after a few seconds of silence

"Of course, my mistress is a very good person. She always helps people who need help" the old woman smiled warmly

"I see… whoa!" Sakura gasped as she saw the huge mansion in front of her eyes

"Welcome to my mistress' place. Make yourselves at home"

* * *

"We can't go home without Sakura-chan! Screw that Sasuke, but I'm not going anywhere without Sakura!!"

"Sigh… now that I think of it, Sasuke has gone missing too. What could those two be up to now?" Kakashi smiled perversely

"Stop imagining things pervert! Sakura can't be happy with Sasuke"

"Right, right. But we've been walking for hours now and we still haven't seen them! Where in the world are they?"

"Why does it have to be so hot in summer?" Naruto yelled near Kakashi's ear

"Watch it!! Sigh… I never experienced a 32 degrees Celsius summer. But why does it have to be now?" he wiped off sweat trickling on his brows

You two! What are you doing in this place? Do you know what danger you are facing just by being here?" a woman halted them and she glared at them hardly

"But we're just looking for our friends, they're still missing and-"

"Forget about them! They will never come back anymore. Return to where you are from and never go back if you value your lives!"

"Miss, we're ninjas trained for all kinds of things and possibilities. You don't have to worry about us anymore" Kakashi smiled behind his mask, eyeing the woman with interest

"Many have come here and didn't come out anymore. Things here are more than what meets the eye. Your friends are no more because they treaded forbidden grounds. The shadows now have them"

"B-but Sakura… I would never leave without Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, his determination firing up

The woman's eyes widened at the mention of the pink brunette's name "S-sakura? She's returned? Sakura's returned?! Doom upon us all, the cursed flower had returned!" the panic stricken woman shook Kakashi violently

* * *

"The flowers are gone… I'm so sad during winter…" Sakura sighed

They have been asked to wait in the receiving room while waiting for the master of the house.

"Sasuke, even though we're already inside, I still feel a little cold. Maybe the fireplace still doesn't have fire?"

"Maybe…"

"_What's taking that old woman so long?! Maybe she's a lunatic who tries to kill Sakura! I can't let that happen! W-wait, why am I being overprotective?_

"_**Maybe you are not Sasuke anymore"**_

"_H-huh? I have my inner self?!"_

"_**Right. Everybody does, you just don't want to talk to me"**_

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting;" the old woman interrupted Sasuke's chain of thoughts "It seems that the mistress is already sleeping. As soon as she wakes up tomorrow, I'll introduce you to her. I've already prepared your rooms, please follow me"

The walk through the large hallway is dead silent. They could almost hear their heartbeats. They passed through a corridor full of paintings

"I feel that the paintings are looking at me… their eyes are following me" Sakura shuddered at the thought of ghosts

"They're frowning at me" Sasuke muttered more to himself than to the women walking ahead of him

"Haha, I thought it at first, too. But my mistress said that if a painter is good, he can make his paintings real and full of life" the old woman smiled and continued to lead the two to their chambers

Sakura gasped as the old lady showed her where she would be staying for the night

"This room is superb! It's so big and beautiful and fantastic! I could only dream of sleeping in a room like this!" Sakura ran around the room like a small girl. Sasuke can't help but smile

"Well young boy…"the old woman waited for him to say his name

"It's Sasuke"

"Ahaha, well Sasuke-san, your room is just in front of hers so you wouldn't need to worry about your girl friend"

"W-wait, she's not… It's not what you think it is!" Sasuke shook his head defensively. Sakura blushed crimson red

"Is that so? But you looked so close and sweet to each other… Well, forgive me for my mistake"

"N-no, it's okay. Don't worry about it anymore baa-san" Sakura looked at Sasuke one more time. She swear Sasuke mouthed the words 'good night'

"If you need anything, just ring the bell. I'll be here at once. Good night beautiful lady" baa-san smiled before she closed the door

"Yeeeeeeesss!! Sasuke bid me good night! It's a first! It's a record breaking event in history!!" Sakura giggled and jumped up and down on her soft bed

"Sigh… If only he would always be like that, then it would be easier for me to deal with him… He'd also be cuter!" she smiled, fantasizing him as a prince, and her as his princess

She closed her eyes and finally slept, but she feels somehow scared, as if someone is watching her every move. But there's something bothering her, she felt at home. She felt like she's finally back to her rightful place. And she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep…

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Whoo! Done, done and done!! I'm not sure if I'll be back for a while. Please read my other story. Thank you! Please review... Love ya all! Not sure how many you are, but love you!


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